Community D

Teaching German

Europe on the Edge

Part 3: Spain/La Gomera - Publicly-funded Burials

La Gomera is one of the Canary islands -- Spanish territory that lies off the northwest coast of Africa. The local authorities have taken an unusual approach to funerals: they're paid for with public funds.

More than ten years ago, all the local residents were given burial insurance. That's rare in Europe, and especially in Spain -- where funerals, cremations, coffins and funeral flowers cost a lot of money. But as Spain struggles with its economic crisis, some are asking whether public money for burials might be put to better use.